Modern medical devices, including medical pumps, are increasingly being controlled by microprocessor based systems to deliver fluids, solutions, medications, and drugs to patients. A typical control for a medical pump includes a user interface enabling a medical practitioner to enter the dosage of fluid to be delivered, the rate of fluid delivery, the duration, and the volume of a fluid to be infused into a patient. Typically, drug delivery is programmed to occur as a continuous infusion or as a single bolus dose.
Many patients who are connected to a medical pump may be receiving an acute level of care, such as that provided in a hospital intensive care unit (“ICU”). A patient in an ICU is likely suffering from a very serious medical problem, that often is life threatening. As such, frequent monitoring of the patient's condition is required, including regular blood tests to determine quantities of analytes present in the blood, and to determine properties of the patient's blood. Examples of analytes in a patient's blood that may require monitoring include: glucose, lipid profiles (e.g., cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL), microalbumin, hemoglobin AIC, fructose, lactate, bilirubin, and other known analytes. One property of a patient's blood that may require monitoring is the coagulation rate of the blood. Since coagulated blood cannot be returned to the patient, coagulation tests are typically done off-line in a remote laboratory and take considerable time to complete.
Unfortunately, caregivers in an ICU are very busy and may be unavailable to collect a sample from a patient at an appointed time, due to the needs of other patients. Further, equipment needed to perform tests on a sample in a location remote from the patient, such as in a lab, may also be unavailable or unable provide results in a timely manner. Additionally, many patients in an ICU are in such grave condition that only a limited amount of blood may safely be drawn from the patient. Furthermore, a caregiver may have difficulty in finding an appropriate location to collect blood samples from the patient.
Failing to properly monitor analyte levels or other properties of the patient's blood can lead to adverse effects for the patient. Thus, an automated system to collect and analyze a sample from the patient from a give collection site at preset intervals may improve the level of care the patient receives. Based on results of the testing, the patient's medication may be adjusted, or other treatments for the patient may be deemed proper or necessary. Further, it is desirable to be able to perform different types of tests on the sample, including in-line testing, and off-line testing. Still further, it is desirable to test a small fluid sample. For in-line testing it is desirable to draw, test, and re-infuse the blood sample in a time period short enough to prevent any significant clotting in the sample. Still further, it is desirable to monitor that performance of the automated system is within established performance limits. Therefore, a need exists for an automated point-of-care in-line testing unit that performs both in-line and off-line testing, as desired in a flexible, programmable, timely, safe, and efficient manner.